[Chandra E]

Last week I adopted a German Shepherd puppy. He was approximately nine weeks old. I had read up on how to feed him raw (learned about it from a friend who also has a GSD) and thought I had a good plan in mind but now I’m running into issues.
I started him off on turkey and he did great. Poops were perfect. I had about two days worth of meals on turkey when I switched him to chicken, despite what had been advised because when I returned to the grocery store for more turkey they were out but I was sold on the 10 pound bag of chicken quarters, much cheaper.
I think he was still doing alright on that until I added liver. Immediately after his first and only liver meal (it was about 70% may and 30% liver) I was reading more on the raw diet for puppies specifically and found that it was advised not to feed them offal at first because it can give them runny stools. Indeed, his next poop was runny.
I thought I should balance this with more bone and then read that the knuckles can cause blockages. After he didn’t poop for a day I panicked (probably prematurely) and gave him about a tablespoon of canned pumpkin, having read that it will serve as a laxative for him. I had to mix it with the plain yogurt he had been receiving in his Kong for him to eat it. (Possibly the yogurt is a problem too) this is his fourth day on the chicken, two days of runny stools… I keep trying to read what I can but was hoping somebody could give me a direct course of action to take from here.
Do I just need to wait for the organs and pumpkin to clear out of his system? Quit with the yogurt? Is it too soon to say his body doesn’t like chicken? To avoid further complications I have fed him meat only for the day, when should I go back to bone?
Sorry for the mess, much appreciation in any help given!

[Pitlove]

Hi Chandra-

I would recommend inlisting the help of a veterinary nutritionist to properly balance a raw diet for a growing puppy, not to mention him being a large breed and prone to orthopedic disorders especially if hes bred as AKC show quality. You can find a list of board certified veterinary nutritionists through the ACVN website. This is the safest route to ensure he is getting proper nutrition.

[anonymously]

You may want to consult with a veterinarian before proceeding, some science based information here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

[Coonhound Mama]

I would agree with Pit Love- a nutritionist would be your safest and best bet. There are some very important things you don’t want to guesstimate on such as calcium/phosphorus ratios, especially since GSDs are large breed dogs. It is crucial to get ratios in balance at this stage. Definitely check out this link for some supplemental resources for starting puppies on raw:

http://perfectlyrawsome.com/dogs/raw-feeding-puppies/

[anonymously]

I have heard good things about this book: Dog Food Logic by Linda Case.
Linda Case is a canine nutritionist, dog trainer, and science writer.

[Cannoli]

i would stick to a high quality puppy kibble until dog is grown then i would play around with feeding him raw. That’s what i did.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Cannoli.

[InkedMarie]

I believe you are going way too fast. I have a 7 month old puppy on raw and I was told to leave him on one protein for two weeks before switching. I believe you are supposed to wait quite awhile before adding organs.

Are you on FB? If yes, you should join a raw feeding group there. You will find much more help from people who know than you will here. I feed raw but in ground form with bones so I honestly can’t help with whole meat raw.

[Author]

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